The present invention relates to a connection unit between a support and a plate element having an upper part, which is attachable to the plate element, and a lower part, which is connectable with a support. It finds particular application in conjunction with a connection unit between a body part of a motor vehicle and a face of a door or a wall of the vehicle and will be described with particular reference thereto. It will be appreciated, however, that the invention is also amenable to other like applications.
Heretofore, a connection element such as one disclosed in European Patent EP 0 726 401 A1 includes two (2) flanges, having different elasticities, which are arranged above a circumferential elastic sealing lip. The two (2) flanges are inserted laterally into pockets of a contact region of the upper piece. When in a mounted position, a lower sealing lip acts upon the upper region of a support for establishing a substantially sealed connection.
A connection element such as one disclosed in German Patent DE 4 014 589 C1 includes an upper piece fastenable to a plate element, a middle piece, and a holding element. One drawback to this type of construction is that tolerance compensation, which is specifically required in the automotive industry, is only possible in the plane extending parallel to the support.
A connection element proposed in German Patent Application No. 197 53 678.6 includes an upper piece and a lower piece. A neck-shaped intermediate region, equipped with locking elements, is provided between the upper and lower pieces. The intermediate region penetrates into a support opening embeddable contact piece.
The present invention provides a new and improved apparatus and method which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.